While many Americans spend Labor Day weekend barbecuing or beachcombing, it’s also the ideal time to tackle much-needed home projects. After all, Labor Day is a three-day weekend, which gives you extra time to get projects done without rushing or stressing. If you feel the need to get stuff done this Labor Day but you’re not sure where to start, read on. The ten projects below, brought to you by NSA Storage, are easy to get done in three days, tops!

What Makes Labor Day Weekend a Great Small Project Weekend?

Americans are lucky enough to have several long weekends every year. Labor Day weekend, however, stands out as the perfect project weekend for a couple of reasons.

First, the weather is still warm, which makes tackling outdoor projects easier and more enjoyable. Also, with school, autumn, and the holidays approaching, Labor Day weekend is your last chance to finish any lingering projects. 

1. Power Wash Your Patio, Walkways, or Driveway

Patios, decks, walkways and driveways take a beating from the weather, which can make them look dull and grungy. Labor Day weekend is a great time to get out your power washer and make them look attractive again. Be sure to:

• Wear clothes that can get dirty or stained
• Wear protective shoes
• Use eye protection
• Take your time (You have all weekend!)

2. Organize Your Closets

Labor Day weekend is a great time to organize your closets and make your fall mornings easier. Here’s how:

• Take everything out of your closet first.
• Sort things by type, use, and season.
• Donate or toss anything you don’t use, need, or want.
• Purchase any space saving devices you’d like to use.
• Put things back so that like is with like. (Short sleeves vs long sleeves, summer vs winter, etc.)

3. Prep Your Yard for Fall

While it might still be warm and pleasant on Labor Day weekend, colder weather is on its way. That makes this last weekend of summer a good choice for yard prepping. For example, now is a great time to:

• Trim shrubs, trees, and bushes
• Store plant pots and other summer garden items for winter 
• Mow and trim the lawn and apply any winter fertilizer
• Weed your flower beds
• Store summer garden tools

4. Give Your Kitchen a Deep Clean

With 3 days to do it, Labor Day weekend is the best time to give your kitchen a deep clean. 

• Go through the fridge and freezer and toss anything that’s old or expired. (Or gross.)
• Wipe down all counters, cabinets, and flat surfaces.
• Move appliances and vacuum/clean behind them.
• Clean the crumbs out of toasters
• Organize the cabinets and pantry

5. Donate Unwanted Items to Goodwill

This project is pretty simple; bring anything you want to donate to your local Goodwill. It’s easy, you can get a tax credit for doing so, and it will help people. Plus, once that stuff is gone, you’ll have a lot more storage space in your closets, garage, shed, attic, etc.

6. Refresh Your Bathroom

Bathrooms are usually the smallest rooms in your home, which means they can become cluttered and messy a lot faster. Here are a few tips to refresh your bathroom and make it feel bigger again:

• Throw away old makeup, expired medications, and anything you never use
• Replace old towels with new ones of a different color
• Clean or dust mirrors and fixtures
• Deep clean the entire bathroom

7. Touch Up Your House’s Exterior

A fresh coat of paint is nice, but painting your entire house is a big job. Better to make the job smaller by touching-up rubs, scrapes, and other spots here and there in your home. You’ll need:

• Paint to match each wall’s color
• A good paintbrush
• A wet rag to clean up any drips
• A step ladder for higher spots

8. Clean Out and Organize the Garage

Summer is a busy, often frenetic time for most families, and the garage takes the brunt of all that energy. If yours is like most, it will be a mess by Labor Day, which makes cleaning an organizing a much-needed project. Here are a few tips to help:

• Like your closets, empty the garage as much as possible.
• Sort everything into 3 piles; keep, donate, trash. 
• Donate or trash those items.
• Give the garage a deep clean while everything is outside.
• If you like, purchase organizing items like plastic bins, tool boxes, hooks, hangers, shelves, etc.
• Put everything back in a way that makes it easy to find things when you need them. 

9. Clean Out Your Gutters

This project may or may not be doable for some. If it is for you, though, cleaning the gutters on Labor Day weekend makes a lot of sense. Here’s why:

• They’re probably full after the summer and the debris summer storms create.
• Leaves will be falling soon, so having clean gutters is a must.
• You can put up gutter guards to keep those leaves out.

Be sure to wear gloves and have someone on hand to steady the ladder you use to reach your gutters.

10. Organize Your Holiday Decorations

It might be hard to believe but, once Labor Day arrives, the holidays aren’t far behind. If you decorate for Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas, or any other holiday, now is a good time to organize your decorations. That way, once your favorite holiday rolls around, you’ll be ready to decorate with less stress and more fun!

Store this Fall at NSA Storage

Labor Day Weekend, as we’ve seen, is practically perfect for pouncing on home projects of all persuasions. It gives you three whole days to get things done, with plenty of time in-between for family fun!

When your project is done, if you find yourself without enough storage space, NSA Storage can help. Once you reserve a storage unit online, you can start storing your stuff right away! Our storage units come in several sizes and are clean, safe, and secure. To all of our customers and friends, we wish you all a fun and exciting Labor Day. Be safe and best of luck with any projects you decide to tackle!